ATAKHAMA, the Finnish band formed out of the ashes of FUNERIS NOCTURNUM, is now a quartet following the departure of guitarist J-V Hintikka. "He just felt he didn't have the motivation left and that it was better to step aside than hold the rest of us back," the band writes on its web site. "No hard feelings, no drama, we're all still friends... And what a farewell party the Black Blood Tour [of Russia] was! We're keeping an eye open for a new, full-time guitarist to join the band, but we don't want to rush it. If you think you have what it takes, drop us a line."

"At the moment we're writing material for the second album and we're planning to enter the studio sometime next year. We feel that with the songs and ideas we have now, we have finally found our direction musically. You have been warned." More...